[doublepost=1529516542][/doublepost]I had a similar experience to the OP. Used the watch as intended. Owned many watches over the years, and have never cracked a screen. For what it's worth, I've owned multiple iPhones and iPads (too many) and have only once cracked a screen - I've had many "oh ****" moments with my phone, but even the most minimalist case has managed to protect it.
Something - I'm not sure what - caused damage to the screen of my watch. Told I'd need to pay $289 for out-of-warranty repair. I was indignant to say the least, seeing as I've never used the watch roughly - I work in an office not a construction site; I use it for running and swimming, not mountain biking. I had assumed that a "sport watch" would be a little tougher than, say, my Tissot. Bad assumption, apparently.
One observation is that my Tissot, as well as every other watch I've owned, has metal surrounding the bevel of the glass; whereas the exposed edge of the Apple watch is glass - so if it strikes a hard surface on its beveled edge, it's not surprising that it will sustain impact damage. This was a design decision on Apple's part. There may be a good reason for it, or it may be aesthetic. But were Apple to decide to prioritize durability, they likely would not have left the beveled edge exposed. Furthermore, Apple sells cases to protect its iPhones and iPads - both Apple designed cases, and Apple-endorsed third-party cases. But Apple does not sell any of its own, or its endorsed third-party protective cases or films for the watch. This, to my mind, is problematic. Yes, third-party products exist, but are they any good? Do I have to test them myself? Shouldn't Apple do that? If I agree to pay the $289 to repair the watch, and I resume using it in the same normal usage scenarios, how do I prevent this damage from occurring again?
For what it's worth, Apple Customer Support does have the latitude to make exceptions to the repair policy. The official policy states that accidental damage is not covered (unless you have Apple Care, and even then you have to pay, just not as much). However, I apparently said the right trigger words (long time Apple customer, own multiple devices, or my tangential whinge that Apple seems to not be the same company it once was) or perhaps I just happened to speak with the right rep. He agreed to issue an exception so that the watch would be repaired (replaced really) without charge. He made it very clear that this was an exception as a show of delivering good customer support, and was not policy.
Moral of the story, if you are in the same predicament, and call Apple Support, and make a compelling case, they may decide to prioritize your customer service experience over their $289. But also, this experience has led me to conclude that this product, though great for a number of things, is far more fragile than a "sport watch" should be. And it really needs the same level of protection that Apple's ridiculous (but pretty) glass phones need.